Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Planting...Sowing...Harvest

Sterling Thailand, I hope you are still reading my blog as this relates directly to you. :)

A couple weeks ago while the Sterling team was here, they met some girls at one of the bars that came back for lunch one day at SHE (the three girls from Soi Easy - Soho Bar, I believe). They seemed to enjoy the lunch, and each made a piece of jewelry while here (which they are wearing every time we see them now in the bars), but that seemed to be the end of it. None of them had this quick revelation to change their lives and come work at SHE. Sad...

Sterling students went back to visit those girls before they left, and the 3 girls told us about a friend of theirs at the next bar over that might be interested in SHE. Last week (Thursday)Laurie, Mawn and myself were walking through Soi Easy and one of the girls grabbed us for a hug and to tell us that their friend was working and we should talk to her about SHE. We did - Mawn got her number and called her the next day (Friday) for lunch. She brought two friends with her (one of them is a girl who works free-lance on the street), was deeply touched by what we do here and was hired on the spot. She started work here yesterday (Monday).

If I'm not mistaken, the friend she brought with her is planning to start working at SHE the first of the month, too. :)

It is so good to be here and see the whole process of the seed being planted, watch and help with watering it, and then reap the harvest! Thank you Sterling students for your obedience and service here! The work you did will continue to grow and multiply far after you are gone, and this is just one example of that, which I am so happy to be able to report back to you! Yay God! :)

Friday, July 24, 2009

Requests for Prayer

Well, here I am three months in to all this and so I'd like to update you on some of the things you can be praying with and for me about:

1. I am hoping to stay here until the first part of November and then head back to India to meet a two-week GI team there before heading back to the states, but my tourist visa for Thailand will expire before then. Pray for favor in getting my visa extended.

2. Since I am spending so much time in Patong, I am getting pretty easily identifiable - even to some of the bar owners and managers, which at times is not the best thing. Pray for some new ideas and ways to remain effective in the bars.

3. I've been having a lot of pain in my hips. All the floors here are tile, and there aren't really any chairs - everyone just sits indian-style on the floor all the time, and I think that plus my not so great bed here are giving me some joint problems. (I feel like an 80 year old woman complaining about my hip pain...) I'm guessing this is what's causing the pain, although I dont really know. I'm struggling to sit on the floor though, which makes life challenging here.

4. Renewed vision and purpose for my time here. The two GI teams have now came and left so the rest of my time here is just focused on whatever SHE wants me to do or needs help with. They are giving me a lot of freedom in this though, so just pray that I'll have wisdom and direction about how to make the best use of my time and that all the right doors will open with the things I want to do.

Khap Khum Ka (Thank you)! Your prayers are greatly appreaciated!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Bittersweetness

The team from Sterling College has already headed back to the US (well they are in transit there right now). It seems like they just got here yesterday - it was quite a whirlwind - and now they are gone. Hard to believe it. It was an incredible time with them. We went on 6 night outreaches into Patong, worked on community projects here at SHE from pulling weeds and clearing overgrowth in the back garden, to caulking windows and helping a lady in the community with her garden and practical needs. We went out probably 6 or more times to prayer walk, and led devotions at SHE in the mornings, while also helping with baking and jewelry-making projects here. We kept them busy...and the feeling was mutual. I was completely and utterly worn-out when they left - the combination of now nearly 3 months on the missions field, with them being the 3rd team I've lead (of energetic college students, no less) - and I have spent much of this weekend resting and "recovering". :)

What's also hard to believe is that I had originally planned to head back to the US with their team. Now that the time for that has come and past, I could not imagine leaving now. There is still so much I want to accomplish here. So much of my time so far has revolved around planning for teams, having teams here, and sorting everything out from teams that left, that I have done little of what I had originally hoped to accomplish. Don't get me wrong - much good is being done here. I'm building fantastic relationships, have gotten to see some girls I've talked to in the bars come to see SHE, and even one so far has come to work here as a result of my meeting her and talking to her. And I've gotten to do some teaching with the women during their morning devotions. They just aren't quite set-up yet for some of the counseling stuff. I'm beginning to think this trip will be preparing the way for that to come later, and is more information gathering when it comes to the actual counseling work. Other ministry opportunities have been abundant and more urgent at the moment, so I am glad to help wherever I can.

That being said, I am planning to try to stay here and learn and help all that I can until early November (as long as I can get my visa extended for that long - fingers crossed and here's praying!), and then meet up with a GI team in India the first part of November, and travel back to the states with them then. I just feel like my time here is not yet over. This is quite a bit longer than I had originally planned to stay, but it just seems right. This all, of course, will come at a bit of a price, so if you would like to sponsor me financially (I know some of you already do - and thank you for that!), it is always greatly appreciated and allows me to fulfill the Great Commission call that some of you are not otherwise able to be apart of at the moment. Financial gifts can be given through Global Infusion: www.globalinfusion.org either online or through the mail.

I just really feel this whole expereince is my "for such a time as this" moment referenced in the book of Esther. Now is the best time for me to be here, and I know that it is completely God-ordained. Keep praying for me for energy, stamina, wisdom and direction while here and for my future steps once November arrives (it seems the Lord is moving me in some different directions than I had originally planned on -as He always does - and I want to make sure I'm obedient). It will be the longest and shortest next 3 months of my life, I'm sure. And bittersweet as I love fulfilling this role, but so much miss all my loved ones back in the US. Even here, I build relationships with teams, and then have to send them away. I'm instituting a new policy where I will pick up people from the airport, but won't take them back to the airport to leave. Think that will work? ;)

Thanks for all your love, prayer and support while I've been away. Please do not let it dwindle now that I have been gone for some time! I need you and your encouraging words, support, and prayers now more than ever! (And for those of you that inquired about sending me packages, you can send those to the address listed on the SHE website: www.shethailand.org.) I look forward to hearing updates about you all as well, and I'll keep adding more pics on facebook too, so keep up with those. Love and miss you!

Sunday, July 12, 2009

The Thailand Express is Rollin on...

Well, it's been quite a busy week with the team from Sterling here. They landed safely in Bangkok on Monday and we spent a couple days there doing some orientation and education on Thai culture and Buddhism before heading down to Phuket. We've been able to do 3 night outreaches while here and spend time with the ladies at SHE during the daytime. The only downer has been the rain for the last 2 days! But even that the team has made the most of. It didn't even dampen their spirits for the beach day yesterday. We just played in the ocean in the rain - so fun! :) I think teams should be here all the time. I love the energy that they bring, and they are able to accomplish so much because of their numbers and enthusiasm. Plus I love having all these people to spend time with - and they are AMERICAN! haha... Normally I'm the minority to the Thai's and the British here, but now all 14 of them join with me in mocking my British roommate and her quirky sayings (poor Laurie)! They are here with me for another 5 days, and we have another 3 night outreaches planned with a lot more prayer walking, community outreach and time with the ladies at SHE to fit in. Keep praying, and you can keep up with Sterlings trip by following their blog at www.thethailandexpress.blogspot.com - they blog everyday, unlike me, who is lagging on the blogs while the team is here. I'll try to work on that... :)

Sunday, July 5, 2009

My prayer

Tomorrow I fly to Bangkok to meet a Global Infusion team that's coming out from Sterling College (along with my good friend Anne). They are actually in the air right now, so pray for their travelling mercies and a safe arrival. We'll spend Tuesday and part of Wednesday in Bangkok before heading back to Phuket Wednesday evening. I'm believing for great things while they are here!

Here's a passage that's been on my heart lately. The first few verses are very familiar to us, but I like the verses that follow as well:

Jeremiah 29:11-14
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the Lord, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
Jeremiah 30:17
"But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the Lord, "because you are called an outcast, Zion for whom no one cares."
Jeremiah 31:3-4
The Lord appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness. I will build you up again and you will be rebuilt, O Virgin Israel. Again you will take up your tambourines and go out to dance with the joyful."

This is my prayer for the women here. Will you believe with me for this?

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Moving forward

Well, things didn't end up so great in KL. I went back the second day after getting the paperwork they needed scanned and emailed to me from Thailand, but got the same woman again, who said there was nothing that could be done - they were already processing my visa for a 60 day tourist visa, and it couldn't be changed. Blast.

Oh well. At least now I'm back in Thailand, and can stay for sure for 60 days, then should be able to do a visa run for at least another 30 (hopefully I can do that twice for 60 days each though, and not have to worry with it again...). But I'll concern myself with that when the time comes. Now I focus on what lies ahead. Monday I leave for Bangkok to meet the second GI team that is arriving. We come back down to Phuket on Wed. (I'm getting tired of all these quick trips and am ready to be settled here for a while). I'm so ready for the team to be here!!! :)

When I got back from Malaysia, Laurie had gotten some furniture from her friends that are moving back to England and, after scraping the mold off of it (haha, I love that the phrase" scraping off the mold" involves things that are now living in our room!...), had it all set up in our room when I got back. It really feels homey now. Thanks Laurie! :)